I agree that the divine ability is vastly more impressive, magically, but the necessary amount of focus to watch several sets at once is the same regardless of distance.
Just try the following: put on a movie on a TV, one on a Computer, turn up the radio and ask two different people to tell you a story.
That's just 5 sets of input, not even all requiring the same senses.
Can you draw useful information from more than one of these sources?
Sigh, there's already magic that lets you multi-focus more than a human can.
I would have thought that the most obvious explanation would be the framework of the magic imparting the abilities of it's text temporarily as with every other spell ever.
You certainly shouldn't be able to instantly function in a completely different form with multiple additional limbs and/or heads yet polymorphing into a Hydra is quite common and without issue.
Outsiders acting on Plane of Balance itself --> Outsiders connected to operations hurting our interests (be it on PoB, or Outer Planes, includes Outsiders that are likely to be transported to PoB soon) --> Outsiders that can reasonably be subverted (Erynies) --> Outsiders serving Mammon (even if unconnected to operations on PoB or not hurting us in any way currently) --> Various other Outsiders (including Phoenixes, Archons, etc).
20% of HD-ceiling is dedicated to summoning Phoenixes and (several) Preceptor Archons.
No random Fiends are to be summoned for capture, unless specified otherwise.
Targets in the list are to be questioned throughout the month, in order to summon from the True Names they know in the following month.
Unless the targets are servants of Mammon (or any other open enemy of such scale), questioning is to be kept to "one step removed"-only, with Outsiders known to anyone captured being summoned, but not questioning those newly-summoned outsiders for yet more TNs.
32 imps,
19 Legion devils,
9 Steel devils,
3 Bone Devils,
1 Ice Devil
-------------------------- 2 Stony Devils
5 Bearded Devils
3 Imps
- prioritised to be questioned and their compatriots summoned on 10th month due to operating on PoB, with Corbray. [Done]
-------------------------- Servants of Asmodeus:
1 Pleasure Devil Spellcaster (?? level)
1 Harvester Devil's Corpse
1 Mythic Horned Devil's Corpse
1 Advanced Chimeric Wizard Bone Devil's Corpse
1 Cleric of Asmodeus' Corpse
- prioritised to be questioned and their compatriots summoned on 10th month due to operationg on PoB with Ghiscari. [Done]
---------------------------
The slavers and servants of Brazen Throne (on a way to Valyria)
1 Efreet MalikSorcerer Creature Diabolist 10 (soul-captured) - in service to Efreeti Sultan
1 Asurenda (corpse) - In service to Asmodeus
- prioritised to be questioned on 10th month due to operationg on PoB in Valyria.
20% of HD-ceiling is dedicated to summoning Phoenixes and (several) Preceptor Archons.
No random Fiends are to be summoned for capture, unless specified otherwise.
Targets in the list are to be questioned throughout the month, in order to summon from the True Names they know in the following month.
Unless the targets are servants of Mammon (or any other open enemy of such scale), questioning is to be kept to "one step removed"-only, with Outsiders known to anyone captured being summoned, but not questioning those newly-summoned outsiders for yet more TNs.
---------------------------------------
3 Desert Devils, 4 Sand devils, 6 Zerub, 7 Bearded devils, 3 Imps - Mammon's Devils summoned last month
---------------------------------------
1 Horned Devil, 2 Uniilas, 5 Ice Devils, 28 Erinyes (all serving Asmodeus) - Asmodeus' Devils summoned from Slavers' Bay and generally known to those who were captured/killed in Gogoss.
---------------------------------------
Outsiders acting on Plane of Balance itself --> Outsiders connected to operations hurting our interests (be it on PoB, or Outer Planes, includes Outsiders that are likely to be transported to PoB soon) --> Outsiders that can reasonably be subverted (Erynies) --> Outsiders serving Mammon (even if unconnected to operations on PoB or not hurting us in any way currently) --> Various other Outsiders (including Phoenixes, Archons, etc).
20% of HD-ceiling is dedicated to summoning Phoenixes and (several) Preceptor Archons.
No random Fiends are to be summoned for capture, unless specified otherwise.
Targets in the list are to be questioned throughout the month, in order to summon from the True Names they know in the following month.
Unless the targets are servants of Mammon (or any other open enemy of such scale), questioning is to be kept to "one step removed"-only, with Outsiders known to anyone captured being summoned, but not questioning those newly-summoned outsiders for yet more TNs.
So our Erinyes once provided the names of other Erinyes they knew, but at that time we weren't accepting other recruits and I presume we did not murder their non-Erinyes allies as we have with enemy outsiders.
I'd like to ask their advice for which of their allies and particular types in general would fit in our Empire.
So our Erinyes once provided the names of other Erinyes they knew, but at that time we weren't accepting other recruits and I presume we did not murder their non-Erinyes allies as we have with enemy outsiders.
I'd like to ask their advice for which of their allies and particular types in general would fit in our Empire.
We... Got every single name of Devils out of our Erynies. Absolute most of them have been sacrificed, too.
We never discriminated beyond Erynies before 9th month...
And the vote for Falxugon/Imps have shown that IC we aren't keen to discriminate further either.
The few Erynies' names we got here is from the batch gathered last month, where we got 14(?) out of 20 we knew of.
Currently available names are all from Mammon's assholes we captured before 9th month, and we are summoning those up.
Not from Erynies, sorry.
No guaranteed reliable people in our Larder right now, or on our radar either.
I take a certain degree of satisfaction to announce that what began as merely an attempt to mirror the Arsenal's streamlined training programme has reached its logical conclusion--outspending its initial budget and outpacing the projected date of fruition, but without a doubt meeting all project goals and becoming an entirely different beast than first anticipated.
As space is not at a premium in Sorcerer's Deep, and the contractors hired out for the project are relatively cheap compared to normal costs, what with the abundance of building materials, the campus was designed with extra facilities in mind, to not only allow students to experiment and safely test their devices in controlled environments, but to make allowances for all the extra personnel intended to keep track of the myriad moving parts, both literal and figurative, necessary in the running of such an institution. There are so many fused crystalline windows that I think some of the Myrish transplants I've taken on as part of the faculty are somewhat envious. I do think the black marble with red veins was a nice touch, however. The authentic wood furnishings from local sources, as well.
Ultimately, how this became the construction of a more than half-empty campus I cannot say, other than the ambition of the architects and a few misunderstandings about the intent and remit of my purposes here in the Capital. It might just be that, being the soul-wrought daughter of the Lady known foremost as "the Mage" who bends the forces of creation to her will, if you ask for the best, perhaps you might just end up with more than the best.
The grounds are fit for at least two, perhaps three more Specialist courses. Uniforms have been designed along a mixture of military lines with some nods here and there to the codex that both Lady Sandviper and Her Grace have written for such a purpose. The code of conduct is largely lifted right from Imperial Graces, so my compliments to the Queen Mother for her due diligence, as it meant I could focus on more important things. Like safety regulations.
As it stands, the biggest obstacles have been ones I have largely shuffled off to the Superintendent and Vice Principle, until a Dean has been appointed. Some have suggested that I take up the post, at least initially. While I was reluctant, most of what that position would entail at first is likely the expansion of the training programmes available, something I believe by now I am somewhat suited for, though it isn't my passion. Things like whether or not an academic sports league should be given funding are not in my area of interest, and would largely be up to His Grace as to what level of funding he would wish to extend to it, or if he would like to open up direct donations, either from local well-to-do benefactors or else exclusively to alumni as some have suggested, or some mixture of the two. It would certainly be understandable if he desired to fund such extraneous things directly, there is a certain prestige in the notion however, and all educative materials are already paid for by the state as is.
I will not mince words, this is to be a military school. Everyone trained here will eventually be given a commission in the Legion, Navy or Air Force upon graduation. It does its job well, but won't churn out experts in but a select few civilian fields, and many will likely content themselves with a government stipend into their retirement given non-competitive clauses woven into the contract taken for any proprietary knowledge of devices used while in the military. It will only strengthen the economy so much compared to the University with myriad courses such as the Fine Arts, Economics and more mundane Architecture and Engineering, suited for construction of infrastructure. No doubt the academy's engineers will be employable in that field upon completion of their initial or subsequent terms of service, but they might have been better off just studying at the other institution to begin with if that was their aim. It does not hurt that government subsidies are frequently made available to the gifted located at orphanages sponsored by the His Grace, so I would not fear of empty seats.
My personal recommendations are to open up courses for Healers, and perhaps a third for Officers. While finding veterans and former leaders among mercenary free companies or else knights with a good head on their shoulders has suited purposes well enough for now, there will come a day when such occupations require an actual pipeline to replace inevitable casualties, and having veterans pulled back from the front to act as instructors in each field would help us retain that experience already gained like as not. I urge you to give the latter thorough consideration at the very least.
As to the last quarter of space, the Legion is always in need of logistical experts. Again, not a pool we are soon to exhaust, but many of them will be giving up their commission for jobs in the expanding Administratum sooner rather than later, unlike most of the regular soldiery who like their current work as much as the steady pay, or Officers eager for glory and prestige, or even opportunity for further advancement.
Lastly, I have forwarded my request for conceptually holy ward-reinforced security checkpoints to aid with filtering out spies on academy grounds to Her Highness. Let us hope those so foolish were more thorough in their attempts than to throw on a veil or bring enchantment to bear, to charm their way past armed guards and the irate Scholarum graduate I've been paying. Better they try that here than somewhere actually dangerous. Well, more dangerous.
Beryl Lyala,
Official Report submitted upon
Second Day of the Tenth Month of the year 293 After the Westerosi reckoning
@DragonParadox, Crake and I have been eager to see Dany using her Half-Celestial form's Hallow SLA utilized to set up warded sites all around SD and in other important locations. I think you might have said how many of those we could reasonably expect her to create per month, but if so, I can't remember the number.
@Crake, @Everyone, remember the Spontaneous Search stations we talked about a while ago? To be used for security check points, the port authority, etc? How many of those do you think we need? Each one would cost 720 IM, with another 250 IM for the item to be worn by the guard on duty which controls the station and grants a +5 Competence bonus on Search checks. At just 970 IM in total for each set, we could afford to start enchanting them this month.
We... Got every single name of Devils out of our Erynies. Absolute most of them have been sacrificed, too.
We never discriminated beyond Erynies before 9th month...
And the vote for Falxugon/Imps have shown that IC we aren't keen to discriminate further either.
The few Erynies' names we got here is from the batch gathered last month, where we got 14(?) out of 20 we knew of.
Currently available names are all from Mammon's assholes we captured before 9th month, and we are summoning those up.
Not from Erynies, sorry.
No guaranteed reliable people in our Larder right now, or on our radar either.
I figured there would have been names they knew of non-planetos related contacts but fair enough.
I'd still like their opinion on types.
I'm thinking
Amnizu: Quickened Fireballs, lots of them. Great long range combatant.
Dogai: Great Assassin's and general sneaks.
Orthon: They have a Dimensional Anchor effect but live a torturous existence that is only halted by combat, if we could somehow solve that for them we would have very willing recruits.
Glass Devil: Constant Improved Invisibility, that means they can attack and stay invisible.
@DragonParadox, Crake and I have been eager to see Dany using her Half-Celestial form's Hallow SLA utilized to set up warded sites all around SD and in other important locations. I think you might have said how many of those we could reasonably expect her to create per month, but if so, I can't remember the number.
I figured there would have been names they knew of non-planetos related contacts but fair enough.
I'd still like their opinion on types.
I'm thinking
Amnizu: Quickened Fireballs, lots of them. Great long range combatant.
Dogai: Great Assassin's and general sneaks.
Orthon: They have a Dimensional Anchor effect but live a torturous existence that is only halted by combat, if we could somehow solve that for them we would have very willing recruits.
Glass Devil: Constant Improved Invisibility, that means they can attack and stay invisible.
In fact, I have several criteria for creatures to be summoned, that I would greatly appreciate help with.
We...
Are kinda strapped for True Names already, so summoning more-or-less benign creatures to do good work in Empire seems a likely choice later in the month.
I'll post what i'd like for help on looking for in about 3 hours.
[] Mereth Level Up
-[] Class: +1 Steel Fury
-[] Skills (8 points): +1 Sense Motive, +1 Spot, +2 Diplomacy, +2 Intimidate, +2 Sleight of Hand
-[] Maneuvers: Replace Sudden Gust with Iron Wind
-[] Lesson of Dis: Gain Uncanny Dodge ability which can be used in Medium and Heavy armor.
2 for Planar Terminus... Or maybe even 4 -one on each side.
1 for Inquisition Headquarters.
1 for Shadow Tower.
1 for wherever Alinor works.
1 for Silver Eye headquarters.
1 for Sealord's place.
Mmm...
Maybe... 5? 10? For SD's port.
I'd go as far as to say that 10 makes most sense to check all production and people arriving, but I have no idea how many people move through Planar Terminus, and it objectively is more likely for contraband carried through people...
...I should probably look up Israel's security protocols tonight, if we are looking up this sort of stations...
2 for Planar Terminus... Or maybe even 4 -one on each side.
1 for Inquisition Headquarters.
1 for Shadow Tower.
1 for wherever Alinor works.
1 for Silver Eye headquarters.
1 for Sealord's place.
Mmm...
Maybe... 5? 10? For SD's port.
I'd go as far as to say that 10 makes most sense to check all production and people arriving, but I have no idea how many people move through Planar Terminus, and it objectively is more likely for contraband carried through people...
...I should probably look up Israel's security protocols tonight, if we are looking up this sort of stations...
Their use needs to be balanced against the fact that sufficiently wealthy or powerful beings can simply Teleport past them, or use any of another dozen magical means to bypass them.
Putting one in or outside a few important government offices, places like the Shadow Tower which can only be accessed in a certain manner, makes sense. Several of them at the port also make sense, but 10 would be excessive, IMO.
One at each Planar Terminus would be good, too. Maybe add another to each eventually.
Hey @egoo found something called Monitor Lizards. They a thing? Its TN Celestial/Fiendish and int 2. Plus actually on the Summon Monster 2 sheet. I'm just asking because it has Smite Good/Evil as a once a day ability. Would getting the Celestial variant hit the same broken planes problem?
Also Blink Dogs not actually Fey so should be scattered around all planes technically.
We can o this after the next interlude which I think will be today.
Winning vote
Adhoc vote count started by egoo on Jun 25, 2019 at 3:04 AM, finished with 559 posts and 19 votes.
[X] egoo [X] Extraplanar Shopping Spree -[X] Try to find and purchase anything available from this list. -[X] Commission four Soulfire Bracers when we stop in to pick up the previous four we commissioned last month. (Cost: 20,000 IM) -[X] Purchase 10 Permanency scrolls for 3rd level spells (Cost: 150,000 IM) -[X] Give Lya virtual carte blanche to purchase rare tomes, spell books, or arcane paraphernalia which she finds interesting or may aid in her studies. (200,000 IM recommended limit) -[X] If single-use Teleport charms are available, and Lya thinks they can be integrated into our Beetle Bombs to allow us to skip the step of adding the Teleport ability ourselves, purchase whatever is in stock. Even if they cannot be used in this manner, purchase at least 20 of them. (Cost: 450 IM each) -[X] Purchase 20 single-use Plane Shift charms (Cost: 450 IM each) -[X] Purchase every Sending Stone, or equivalent item, which is available. (Cost: 280 IM each) -[X] Check to see what Metamagic Rods are available for purchase and commission. A list to choose from, rather than just letting us order whatever we want, would make sense here and be more fun, @DragonParadox. -[X] Check to see which 7th, 8th, and 9th level spell scrolls are available for purchase. Same as above for the Metamagic Rods, DP.
You spend much of the rest of the day going through the suspended bazaars of Armun Kelisk. While there are many things you have resolved to use, be they bracers to ward the body and soul from death or scrolls to anchor a spell firmly in place, many others you seek out with a curious eye. Metals, stones, or green growing things amid the bustle that marks the confluence of worlds where one can find many rare and wondrous treasures for one with a discerning eye... and deep pockets to match.
"Remember when we used to wander the bazaars of Braavos looking for bargains?" Lya asks as she quickly sweeps up another dozen 'Djinn tokens' from the table of a beaming sky-born merchant. Though their shapes and sizes are as varied as the stars in the sky, from iridescent feathers to shards of ice-clear diamond, drops or arcane blood poured into vessels of imperishable gold, they perform the same two functions—either translation across the boundaries of the spheres or 'almost guaranteed to work' translocation. From his expression Maester Qyburn finds the qualification deeply dubious.
"We've made do with similarly inexact magics for years before we could wield spells of the Seventh Circle," you point out. "The worst we have suffered is an unexpected jaunt through the Dothraki Sea, and even that went well in the end."
Ser Richard speaks up unexpectedly: "Take care, Qyburn. His Grace counts matching swords with bloodthirsty dead and wits with dream-spun horrors to be a day well-traveled."
"I said it ended well, Ser, not that every moment of it was pleasant," you laugh as you step onto the next platform, absentmindedly ducking aside from the path of a diminutive clockwork messenger giving off an alarming amount to steam.
"I certainly would not have minded the undead, though I could have done without the bloodthirst. Such an unproductive trait, that," the aged maester clicks his tongue, like a dog trainer describing some unwanted trait that had slipped into his prize bloodline.
Roughly tracing back the fading line of steam you find yourself in the smiths' quarter of the bazaar, nowhere as large nor yet as ordered as the deep halls beneath the Opaline Vault of course, but still a place marked by scalding vapors and strange astringent smells that drive off the usual pleasant breezes of Armun Kelisk. Harsh metallic whistles and deep bells all-but drown out the ever present bustle of the crowd as fully fledged sky-ships occasionally anchor there directly to take on cargo and head back out. By the pennants they fly most of them seem to either belong to the Fleet or be seconded to them, carrying supplies or experts to the front.
Thankfully unlike that time long ago when you first stepped into the Braavosi bazaar you are not actually wandering blind, having asked your contact with the Whispering Winds where you might find works of sorcery useful to you. Thus when you enter the smithy that proudly proclaims itself 'Fortune's Arms' by the cloth of the old banner flying from one of its three towers, the master smith is ready to take you to see his special stock. The fact that the man is covered in fading burns does not inspire much confidence in his skill, though the impression is corrected upon seeing that both his eyes are wrought of enchanted glass, not only nearly perfect replicas in form, but seemingly perfectly serviceable.
Apart from the 'usual' fare of arcane metals such as Mithral, Cold Iron, and Adamantine, the master smith can provide two other rare metals through the contacts of the Djinn house which patronizes him. The first a pale green crystal called Noqual which hums a soundless melody that disrupts magic of all kinds, providing some protection against sorcery though also impeding any spell the bearer may wish to cast when made into armor. It is the second, however, that most captures the imagination, a dull coppery metal, considerably stronger than steel though not near as hard as adamantine which the merchant calls Horacalum, in the tongue of the city, translating to 'time-twisted steel'.
With a showman's practiced motion the smith tosses a bag of fine gold dust onto the ingot. The grains seem to freeze mid aid, though no spell was cast upon them, nor indeed the material traditionally enchanted.
"They are still moving, only very, very slowly," Lya says, peering closely at cloud of dust.
As though in response to her words the dust suddenly flows downward so fast it seems to blur scattering throughout the chamber, though returning to a more normal descent once it was more than a foot from the ingot.
"Where is this mined?" you ask instantly. Not that you truly expect a chance to gain a source of such fabulous metal, but a question costs nothing.
"Ah..." The smile on the glass-eyed smith's face shows this is a question he is often asked. "You see it's not mined at all, but found in lumps just waiting to be hammered into ingots, but it's in the most dangerous parts of the Deep Wilds. Some say there are Time Wyrms out there. Wouldn't know myself, but it's a fact that only one in three that set out that way ever make it back and even veteran scroungers are dicing with their lives. "
Noqual: Cost 400 IM/lb; 96 lbs available Horacalum: Cost 2,000 IM/lb; 37 lbs available
Which of the metals do you buy?
[] Write in
***
As evening comes for you, if not for the ever bright city of the Djinn, you spend it among the fragrant blossoms of the Ireah's Gardens, named for an ancient prince of the Djinn who was said to have lost his love, a dryad, among the twisting paths and ever changing perfumes. Thankfully Qyburn excuses himself from that part of the excursion early, giving you the chance to be a touch less dignified as evening wears on.
"For you, my lady," you say extravagantly while presenting a golden bell flower to Lya. "To bind in your tresses, though the beauty of any flower pales besides yours, of course."
"That thing is huge," Lya laughs. "It would unbalance my head." She still takes it, shrinking it with a wave of her hand before placing the now minuscule flower in her hair.
Jests aside, you do find something worth buying among the alabaster paths of the garden—a sort of silvery horse feed that can improve the speed and temperament of horses that graze upon it, and yet another herb that prevents conception, though this one to be taken by the man.
OOC: Books, rods, and scrolls will be in the next update alongside Djinn laws, though I would like to ask you guys for a favor, choose some scrolls you would like. If I have to roll for every level 7-9 pathfinder and 3.5 spell I will be doing nothing but rolling for an hour straight which sounds tedious enough to put me off writing for the rest of the day.
I'm actually surprised we lucked out on 2 things among few those I wanted most.
That grass is amazing. Utterly, utterly so.
So much so, even, that we should probaBly set up a few Heart Trees with Plant Growth just for it alone.
Time-twisting metal is bullshit, and if time-travel itself is off the list, twisting it into knots is something this thing can help with.
Also, illithids have a ruined base that studied temporal effects.
I want something made out if this metal to give a last-ditch save to whoever we send there.
Noqual is pretty great too, imo.
Casting impediment is problematic for casters only, and even though we have many, we also have some pure Meelees too.
Also, probably counts for reducing cost of whatever "anti-magic" wards/projects we may ever decide to do.
I'll try to come up with some spell scrolls to look for. I cannot look at the wish list spreadsheet at work, though.
[X] Purchase:
-[X] All available Noqual (96 pounds) and Horacalum (37 pounds). Cost: 112,400 IM
--[X] Try to find any Celestial Bronze available for purchase.
-[X] Arkas Grass and Cassil seeds. Cost: 9,000 IM
-[X] Try to find the the following spell scrolls: Absorption, Awaken Construct, Effulgent Epuration, Gate, Mass Heal, Spellbane, Time Stop, Transmute Golem, True Resurrection, Undermaster, Wish
